Awakening CallingSample

Calling Requires a Response 

Abraham left everything, Elisha left everything, and the disciples left everything as a response to God’s calling. Whether or not we need to leave our land and livelihoods in the same way, the heart's response must be the same. Responding to God’s calling in our lives requires our full devotion. 

Even if we feel we have already made a wholehearted response to God, calling almost always involves stepping outside our comfort zone and into some big unknowns. God’s calling on our lives is always for something bigger than ourselves. To engage with deeper aspects of calling requires us to be self-forgetful – less concerned with ourselves and more concerned with God. We can be sure that when we have frustrations and longings that go beyond ourselves, it means that aspects of calling are being incubated and discovered.

What can be both reassuring and overwhelming at the same time is that God calls us personally by name (Isaiah 43:1; John 10:3). It is reassuring because our future in God is mapped out for us. It is overwhelming because we don’t get a copy of the map! God’s call is an invitation to trust. In the day to day, God promises to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). God is in the light, and He is also in the darkness (see Psalm 97:2). In God’s wisdom and in our best interests, He asks us to trust him with the next step and with what lies ahead.

Questions

How have you responded to God’s calling in your life so far? What has that looked and felt like? What is the next step for you?

Prayer

Lord God, thank you that you are calling me. Help me respond with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. Amen